How to Grow Black Mondo Grass for Stunning Contrast in Your Yard

Back mondo grass is an unusual ornamental grass, even though it isn't really grass at all. This tuberous-rooted perennial, also sometimes called "monkey grass," doesn't have stems—the leaves resemble grass blades and sprout right out of the ground to form clumps. This plant is often grown for its oddly-colored black leaves, which add a striking visual to any lawn or garden.

Black mondo grass is quite the novelty plant, and the foliage is useful for creating contrasts with brightly-colored plants. Black mondo grass functions as a ground cover (valued especially for semi-shady areas) or as an edging plant. It's best to plant it in spring so that it becomes well-established long before its first winter.

Learn how to grow black mondo grass, what challenges you will face growing it, and what choices you have for similar plants.

Black Mondo Grass Care

Here are the main care requirements for growing black mondo grass:

• Keep the soil evenly moist, but not saturated.

• Make sure the soil for your black mondo grass drains well. If it does not, mix compost into the soil to improve its drainage.

• Adjust the amount of sunlight that your black mondo grass receives based on how hot your climate is.

• Black mondo grass is a slow grower, so exercise patience and do not expect a showy display immediately. In warm areas it is evergreen, but in colder spots, the foliage may die back some in winter.
  

Light

You can grow black mondo grass in full sun to partial shade in the North, but grow it in full sun to achieve the darkest foliage color. But, in the South, the plant profits from a location in partial shade to cope with the hotter summer weather.

Soil

Give black mondo grass a soil that drains well. It does not require a rich soil, but mixing compost into the ground where it is growing will not only enrich the soil but also improve the drainage.

Water

Keep the soil of black mondo grass consistently moist. The plant does not like its soil to dry out completely, but neither does it like its soil to be excessively wet.

Temperature and Humidity

Black mondo grass does not like extremely hot weather, which is why the southerly cut-off for growing it is zone 9. A wide range of humidity levels is tolerated as long as the soil is kept moist.

Fertilizer

To feed the plant, an annual dressing of compost is helpful but not obligatory.

Types of Mondo Grass

Black mondo grass is just one of several plants sometimes called "monkey grass." Others include:

• Dwarf mondo grass (Ophiopogon japonicus 'Nana')

• Creeping Liriope (Liriope spicata)

• Big Blue lilyturf (Liorope muscari)

Which of the four you choose to grow depends on your needs:

• If you want an interesting foliage plant, the best choice is black mondo grass.

• If you need a plant with a showier flower, plant Big Blue lilyturf.

• If you have a space you want filled in quickly with a ground cover, grow creeping Liriope.

• If creeping Liriope's aggressiveness would be a problem for you, fill in the space instead (albeit more slowly) with the better-behaved dwarf mondo grass.
  

Propagating Black Mondo Grass

The easiest way to propagate black mondo grass is by dividing it, and the best time for division is in spring.

1. Using a garden fork, pry the plant clumps out of the soil.

2. With your hands and/or a knife, tease apart the roots, breaking up the plant into sections. Each section should have a few leaves, and be sure to also remove dried or diseased roots.

3. Transplant the sections right away to an appropriate spot, spacing them 4 inches apart. If you cannot transplant them immediately, keep them moist while you are waiting to plant them.

How to Grow Black Mondo Grass From Seed

Generally, when you can propagate a plant via division or cuttings, that is your best choice, rather than propagation via seed. Such is the case with black mondo grass. Its seed is slow to germinate (it can take three months). But if you do want to try growing it from seed, here's how to do it:

1. Harvest the berries only when they have turned dark purple. If they still have a greenish tinge to them, then they are not ready.

2. Once harvested, mash the berries with a spoon to reveal the seeds (which are black). Extract them from the pulp, wash them, and soak them for two days in water (change the water after the first day to keep it fresh).

3. Ready a seed tray for planting. It should have drainage holes in the bottom. Fill it with a seed-starting medium.

4. Plant the seeds one inch apart and cover lightly with a seed-starting medium.

5. Using a spray bottle, mist the soil and erect a plastic tent over the tray to conserve moisture.

6. Place the tray in a cool spot. Check the soil periodically—whenever it dries out, mist it again.

7. Once the seeds have sprouted, remove the tent and place the tray in a sunny window. Continue to keep the soil evenly moist.

8. Plant outside in spring, after all danger of frost has passed.

Potting and Repotting Black Mondo Grass

Whether you are repotting black mondo grass or potting it up for the first time, task number one is to select a suitable container. It must have drainage holes in the bottom and be an appropriate size for your plant. The pot should be big enough to incorporate the root system (plus offering enough additional space for the roots to grow a bit more) but not so big that excessive moisture remains after watering. To ensure superior drainage, add about an inch of small stones to the bottom.

Fill the pot to within one inch of the top with potting soil. Make a hole that is slightly larger than the root ball. Install the plant. The top of the root ball should rest at the same level as the top of the hole. Scoop potting soil around the sides of the hole to fill it. Tamp the potting soil down all around the plant. Water well.

Overwintering

To extend the hardiness range of black mondo grass to zone 5, mulch the plant in late fall. Avoid, however, using an excessive amount of mulch. The right amount of mulch is about a 2-inch layer. Compost makes a fine mulch for this purpose, adding nutrients to the soil as a bonus.

Common Pests and Plant Diseases

Black mondo grass does not have many pest problems as both deer and rabbits tend to leave it alone. Slugs and snails are the main pest problem for black mondo grass. There are several methods for controlling these pests. Commercial products include poison baits and repellents. But there are also several homemade methods you can use to save money. One of the better-known consists of sinking a saucer of beer into the ground. The pests are drawn to it, fall in, and drown.

As with pests, few diseases commonly attack black mondo grass, but one that does is root rot. However, if you provide your plants with good drainage, you lessen the likelihood of their succumbing to this disease.

Common Problems With Black Mondo Grass

Excessive moisture is the main underlying problem for black mondo grass. It is the single greatest factor behind both its pest problems (slugs and snails) and its disease problem (root rot). Slug and snail pests thrive in excessive moisture in the garden. Meanwhile, root rot is a fungal disease, and fungus is always more at home under wetter conditions.

Sometimes, there is little you can do about excessive moisture. You are likely to be plagued with it if you garden in a humid climate or a climate with a lot of rain. Other times, though, you do have some control over the matter. For example, you can avoid overhead watering: Irrigate, instead, at ground level.

Frequently Asked Questions

How far should I space black mondo grass plants apart?

Proper spacing for black mondo grass is 4 inches.

What is a good companion plant for black mondo grass?

With its bright golden foliage, Angelina stonecrop (Sedum rupestre 'Angelina') creates a wonderful contrast with black mondo grass.

Why am I having trouble finding the 'Nigrescens' cultivar in a catalog?

The plant is sometimes sold as 'Arabicus,' 'Black Dragon,' or 'Ebony Knight.' All of these are essentially the same plant: All will give you the dark foliage for which this plant is famous.

Read the original article on The Spruce.